Folding box



Fb. 15, 1949. wH|TTAKER 2,461,618

FOLDING BOX Fil ed Oct. 9, 1945 Alvin Whittaker- INVENTOR ATTORNEY directions.

Patented Feb. 15, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOLDING BOX Alvin Whittaker, Burbank, Calif. Application October, 1945, Serial No. 621,201

1 Claim. -(Cl. 229-522) This invention pertains to improvements in folding boxes and is particularly directed to boxes provided with a metallic or plastic, relatively rigid handlevassembly held by the box.

Boxesfor use in packaging dresses, sweaters, mens suits, overcoats and various other articles have been manufactured and used for years. The most efiicient type of box for these purposes is 'made of a single sheet of material so arranged that a wrapper or salesman can readily expand a preformed, prescored blank or sheet into a box. Such boxes, moreover, preferably are provided with a handle in the form of a U-shaped bail. the ends of the bail being bent outwardly in opposite Such handles have been inserted through a slot cut in one of the front walls of the box, the outwardly extending end portions preventing the entire handle from being pulled end of a box, showing the position of the parts at the time that the cover is applied or closed.

Fig. 4 is anenlarged side view of a' completely -closed box locked by a locking device carried in I provided-with upstanding side walls 2 and 3 and a front end wall 4, the walls 2, 3, and 4 being through the wall. Ordinarily, the corresponding front end wall of the cover of the box was providcd with a recess so that the handle could readily extend from the box. Prior constructions, however, have 'made it relatively diflicult to properly insert the handle and the box has often been torn when a fully loaded box was carried by the handle.

The present invention is directed toward improvements which not only facilitate the insertion of a handle into the wall of the box but firm- 1y position such handle and obviate the necessity of using various tangs and cooperating slits for the purpose of holding thehandle in position.

It is an object of the present invention, therefore. to disclose and provide an improved folding box with a readily insertable handle member.

A further object of the invention is to disclose and provide a novel combination of elements which not only properly positions a removable handle in the wall of a box but holds the ball of the handle against lateral movement and increases the strength of the completed structure.

These and other objects will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following descrlption of an exemplary form of the invention. In order to facilitate understanding, reference will be had to the appended drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a one-piece boxwith the handle inserted in one of the walls, the cover of the box being in a partially raised position.

- integral with the bottom I.

One form of interlocking corner construction is indicated at 5. Such box also includes a cover 6 provided with the side walls I and 8 and a front end wall 9.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section taken through a front wall of the box, illustrating the. insertion of a handle.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectionthroughthe front The bottom I and the cover 6 are normally joined together by means of a common end wall l0. "Ordinarily the side walls I and 8 and the front end wall '9 carried by the cover 6 overlap the walls 2, 3 and 4 of the bottom I. p

In accordance with thepresent invention, the front end wall 4 connected to or integral with the bottom I is provided with a slit generally indicated at l2. 'This slit preferably includes end portions exeending from spaced aligned points of origin l3 and 14', such points being substantially midway of the longitudinal edges of the front end wall 4 in a direction toward the free longitudinal edge I5 of such wall. The slit- I! may also include a central portion which is adjacent such free edge. In other words, the'slit 12 may be either curved or U-shaped and the contour of such slit may be varied in accordance with the contour of the handle member.

The handle member I6, illustrated in the drawlugs and best shown in Fig. 4, is of generally U shape with gently rounded corners, the ends or legs of the handle'being outwardly bent in opposite directions as indicated at H and I8. The slit l2 in effect forms a resilient tongue which is adapted to. extend between the legs of the preformed bail or handle 16.

Fig. 2 illustrates .thereadiness and ease with which the handle may be inserted into the slit. The operator need only depress the tongue l9 formed by the. slit l2 and insert the bail of the handle Hi from within the box. The final position of the handle upon insertion is indicated in dottedlines at It (Fig. 2). 3

The mid portion of the front end wall 3 of the cover 6 is provided with an aperture having a longitudinal edge 22 extending between points 13' and H in substantial registry with the points 'of origin 13 and ll of the slit 12, when such front end wall 3 is placed in overlap l relation to the front end wall 4 of ,the bottom. The aperture is also provided with a curved marginal edge having end portions 23 and 24 extending toward the free edge 25 of the end wall 3 and'a 30 positioned adjacent the handle aperture, a

central portion 26 which is adjacent such free edge or a score or fold line 21 which is a continuation of such free edge 28.

It may be noted that the contour of the curved edge consisting of the portions 23, 24 and 28 may correspond somewhat to the curvature of the bail of the handle 16.

In the embodiment illustrated, a locking tang so is shown carried by the edge 25 of the'front end wall 3 in the region of the aperture described hei'einbefore. Details of this tang or looking arrangement need not be given herein since such lock is clearly described in my co-pending application Serial No. 586,285, now abandoned. Suffice it to say that the locking tang includes an upwardly extendingtongue 3i and end tongues such as 32.

The bottom I of the box is provided with a horizontal slit 35 and a pair of vertical or slightly inclined slits 36 and 3'! so that when the box is entirely closed, the tang 31 may extend into the horizontal slit 35 whereas the end tangs, such as 32, may extend through the slits 36 and 31'.

It will be noted from Fig. 3 that as the cover Ii of the box is closed, the bail of the handle [6 will readily follow the inner surface of wall 9 and extend into the aperture delineated by marginal edges 22, 23, 24 and 26, snapping into an upward or raised position, indicated by dotted lines at It", as soon as the ball has extended through the aperture. In fully closed position (after the tang 3| has been engaged with slit 35, etc.) the longitudinal edge 22 cooperating with the marginal edges 23 and 24 will grasp the legs of the bail and hold the same against lateral movement. Moreover, that portion of the box between the marginal edge 22 and the adjacent longitudinal edge of the wall 3 covers the slit 12, thereby preventing the handle I6 from being forced into the.box (in an inaccessible position) and from being withdrawn readily from the box through such slit. Moreover, inasmuch as the aperture in the wall 3 does not open onto the free edge 25, the entire front wall 9 is of considerable strength and does not tear or become deformed when the box is used or shipped.

Itis to be understood that although the embodiment illustrated shows a single locking tang lateral movement.

suitable box embodying the inventions here disclosed may be free of locking times since the aperture in itself will prevent accidental opening of the box. The invention also contemplates the use of two or more locking tangs at diiferent positions along the edge of the wall 9.

Obviously, variousmaterials, shapes and sizes may be used in the construction of the box so as to adapt it for the handling of articles differing widely in shape. volume or cubical displacement, weight, etc. All changes coming within the scope of the appended claim are embraced thereby.

I claim:

In a one-piece folding box adapted to form a bottom provided with upstanding side walls and a front end wall,'a cover provided with upstanding side walls and a. front end wall, and an end wall common to the bottom and cover, the provision of a slit formed in the mid portion of the front end wall connected to the bottom, said slit having end portions extending from longitudinally spaced aligned points of origin substantially midway between the longitudinal edges of the front end wall in a direction toward the free edge of said wall, and a central portion adjacent such free edge; an aperture in the mid portion of the front end wall of the cover, said aperture having one longitudinal edge extending between points in substantial registry with the points of origin of the slit when said front end wall of the cover is placed in overlapping relation to the front end wall of the bottom, and a curved marginal edge having end portions extending toward the free edge-of the end wall and a central portion adjacent such free edge; said aperture being of a size and shape to freely receive the ball of a handle extending from the points of origin of the slit while lying substantially flat against said first front end wall, the front end wall of the cover adjacent the longitudinal edge of the aperture covering the slit and holding the ball against ALVIN WHI'I'I'AEBR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNI'I'ED STATES PATENTS 

